Japan can now be designated in International Design Applications

Japan joined the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial designs, and as of May 13, 2015, Hague System users can designate Japan in an international design application. Please be aware of the following matters when you designate Japan in an international design application.

1) Products belonging to class 32 of the Locarno classification (e.g. surface pattern, logo, ornamentation, etc.) cannot be granted protection under the design law of Japan.

2) In Japan, in principle, drawings of six views, namely, front view, rear view, right side view, left side view, top view, and bottom view are required. A design must be shown in the same scale orthographically and standards of consistency for each drawing are strict.

3) Where convention priority was claimed in the international design application, priority documents must be submitted to the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) within three months from the date of publication of the international registration. Overseas residents must undertake procedures with the JPO through a representative in Japan.

4) Japan adopts substantive examination principle and the JPO examines whether a design in an international design application meets the requirements for design registrations; namely, novelty, industrial applicability, and non-obviousness.

For more details, please do not hesitate to contact us, or refer to the below JPO website.

http://www.jpo.go.jp/english/applications/hague_notes_e.htm